Advanced Fertility Associates Medical Group

Let me start by saying this has been a long and difficult journey, both physically but more so emotionally and mentally. And unless you have gone through it, its hard to relate to infertility. We, like many others tried to start life out the right way… Find yourself, get that «job» you worked so hard for, and become a professional productive member to society, then find that one right person who was meant for you and start a family. Unfortunately it all sounds like a grand plan, but when your older starting a family isn’t always as easy as it’s suppose to be…
So, that is where Dr. Radcliffe and her amazing crew came in. And, its been a long exhausting road as well, but the end results make all the sacrifices worth it! The whole office is like one big family, they are all so helpful and supportive working together as a team. I have the utmost respect for Dr. Ratcliffe, her intelligence, professionalism, and her direct way of communicating. Yes she is a the «matter of fact» type, but that is what I like. I dont need anyone to candy coat anything. I want to know the specifics and correct information, even if its not what I want to hear, that way I can make an educated decision based on facts to hopefully get better results… I also found her sense of humor to make uncomfortable situations (constant ultrasounds, ect) much easier and more tolerable, easing the situation.
The medical staff in the office were all so incredible! Very comforting and friendly as well through this whole process. Bonnie the IVF coordinator was very sweet and helpful, guiding us through the whole process, and what to expect. Ashley the secretary was always so sweet, answering all my calls with her pleasant voice and answering my crazy questions with her sweet demeanor.
Then of course there are the medical assistants Patty and Jamie… What blessings and huge assets they are to this office! Like I said, its been a very long journey with multiple IVF procedures, blood draws, ect. A massive emotional roller coaster, and through it all they were kind, supportive, knowledgeable, and very professional. They made every painful and emotional step much easier with their support and kindness! Always bubbly and happy making you feel at ease. I cannot thank them enough for their support through this whole process, what a difference having GREAT staff makes!!! I cannot say enough great things about these two!
And that leaves us where we are today. With positive results, a positive experience and our first little one on the way, YAY!!! Thank you to the team for your dedication and devotion to helping us achieve our goal… We are FOREVER grateful for everything, and cannot express our gratitude!

I have another Unilocal account, but because this is a very personal issue, I am posting it anon.
I’m sure Dr. Ratcliffe gets the job done. I’m also sure she isn’t the ONLY Dr. who can do so.
Our first impression of this office was great! The front desk assistants are absolutely lovely in the way they answer questions and schedule appointments. Our first appointment (testing of the man fluids at our GP’s request) went swimmingly (haha). The next appointment was quite possibly one of the most uncomfortable experiences in my adult life.
We met with Dr. Ratcliffe, and she proceeded to explain the basics of fertility — she’s very matter of fact, and I can appreciate that. When she found out who my GP was, she said, «Oh, Dr. X knows nothing about this stuff.» Rude much?
Let’s be clear — we went to see her to help us with a problem, not become friends. So, I just figured she was a bit cold and abrupt, but if she could help us, I could deal with it. A lack of bedside manner is one thing, but Dr. Ratcliffe takes it to a whole new level.
When she started talking about treatment options, she mentioned that I’d need to take BC pills — She did not say how long I’d have to take BC pills, only that I’d have to take them — When I expressed my concern and hesitation, due to my bad experiences with BC pills in the past and the fact that my cousin (who was 31 and healthy) died from a stroke due to BC pills, she actually said «Your cousin probably would have died anyway, maybe even while pregnant, and isn’t it better that she died before she got pregnant?» DID YOU REALLY JUST SAY THAT??? Wow. Just wow.
Somehow I managed to keep it together long enough to complete the appointment. Before we left, she gloated about how she was getting donuts the next day and that her staff has to bring donuts every time they mess up… and that she gets donuts often. All other things aside, Dr. Ratcliffe is seriously lacking in professionalism to make disparaging comments about her staff to potential clients.
She also kept trying to push us into going downstairs and getting our tests immediately without giving us an evening to process and think about it. Ugh.
Finally we were out of there. We didn’t even get to the car before we decided there was NO way we could work with someone so rude and uncaring.
One other thing. In the letter she sent to my GP, my name was spelled wrong and the content was just as pushy and rude as she is in person. It’s beyond matter of fact — she’s patronizing and judge-​y.
I wonder if it’s because we aren’t a married couple and she is clearly very Catholic as evidenced by the décor in her office.

Let’s just get this out there, infertility sucks. By the time a couple reaches the doors of a specialty clinic they have experienced tremendous disappointment, anxiety, sadness and stress. Making the decision to take this step is difficult. You must be ready to commit yourself 100% to the process, to accept that your body will be hijacked with hormones and your checking account will take a significant hit. These are the realities. So, because of these factors, many of us are vulnerable and emotionally raw even before a treatment plan is developed.
After many years of infertility we made the decision to take the step. I researched clinics obsessively. My husband and I drove all over the Bay Area to attend consultations and gathered information from everyone we know who has gone through similar circumstances. Originally, we weren’t even going to meet with Dr. Ratcliffe because of the negative reviews on Unilocal.Then my OBGYN, whom I respect a great deal, said to me «She is brilliant. She will get you pregnant.» So, we went and I am so happy we did.
Dr. Ratcliffe is not warm and fuzzy. She does say some things that might leave your mouth hanging open and she might say some things that hurt feelings. I wasn’t fazed by any of that. In my line of work I have learned the most intelligent, successful medical professionals don’t have the best bed side manner. So what? I am not looking for a new girlfriend, I am looking to get pregnant. I am a total type A person who likes to get things done quickly and efficiently. I did not want to mess around for years with fertility treatments like some others I know. Dr. Ratcliffe connected with that right away. She is a no-​nonsense, lets get you knocked up kind of lady.
What I respect and appreciate most about Dr. Ratcliffe is her honesty. She told us at the first meeting that we need to go straight to IVF because of our history. She could have dragged us through a few rounds of IUI and collected extra money from us but she didn’t. She developed an aggressive protocol and we followed it to the T and I am very happy to say that we are 8 weeks, 2 days pregnant with a single baby. Today we heard our baby’s heartbeat for the first time. I will be eternally grateful to Dr. Ratcliffe for making what we thought impossible, possible for us.
Then there are her incredible staff. Ashley at the desk is wonderful. She remembers everyone and is always friendly and sweet, in person and over the phone. Bonnie set us up on our IVF schedule and medications and always had a warm smile and hug for me every time I went to the office. Then there is Jaime who I could gush about forever. She was patient and understanding with all of my questions (some of which were pretty silly), always returned my calls promptly and has a great sense of humor, something that is much appreciated through a stressful process.
I felt like everyone there was rooting for us the whole time. At no time did I ever feel like a number or cog in a large factory (anyone who has gone to the larger hospital based fertility programs knows what I am talking about). If you are looking for a new happy hour buddy, this is not the place for you. If you want to get pregnant, go see Dr. Ratcliffe.

First off I want to say I have another Unilocal account, but due to the personal nature of a Unilocal review such as this I choose to make a new one just to leave this review.
We have been trying to conceive for a little over two years. I know I can get pregnant because we have had a child in the past no issues. After seeking two other fertility specialists I decided to meet with Dr. Ratcliffe, especially considering she gives free consultations to Kaiser patients, how many Drs. are willing to give their time for free.
I found her to very honest and information, she provided me more information then the two previous specialists and actually helped me to understand my body. She took her time with me, and she told me that she is almost certain I would get pregnant on my own. Instead of trying to get me to use her services and spend money, she told me she won’t do any fertility treatment until I loose weight since it is not safe for me nor the baby. She prescribed me Metformin.
Lo and behold I conceived on my own the same month. Although I was not taking Metformin at the time of conception I started soon after, and my OBGYN wants me to stick with it, and it can help sustain pregnancy esp. those with PCOS or overweight.
Perhaps I did get pregnant in the past, but couldn’t sustain the pregnancy and this could due to meds. In any case she is the only specialist who gave me hope I could conceive on my own, spent time to teach me about the specifics of my body, and wasn’t just trying to get my money.
I highly recommend her.

Dr. Ratcliffe is an extremely knowledgeable person who will tell you how it is with a no-​nonsense kind of style. We felt very well taken care of and well informed during the entire process. If you’re looking for warmth, her staff, especially Jaime and Patty, are the ones to turn to. They treated us wonderfully. We’re so grateful that Dr. Ratcliffe and her staff helped us bring our bundle of joy into the world. Finally, as a same-​sex couple, we felt very welcomed.

I had a missed miscarriage in May and was devastated. My gyno referred me to Dr. Ratcliffe in Santa Rosa. From the minute I met her, I knew she meant all business and would do her best to help get me what I always wanted… a child of my own. Given my age, 40, she gave me straight forward answers to my questions and listened to all my concerns. I am currently 9 weeks pregnant with a healthy baby. All the girls in her office were wonderful to work with. Beginning with Katelyn at the front desk and the wonderful nurses Patty and Jaime. I would def recommend AFAMG to anyone out there looking for help with their fertility concerns. I feel so blessed!

Dr. Ratcliffe and her staff are great at what they do. Having very limited fertility options in Santa Rosa left me with a feeling of helplessness as I didnt have a choice. I felt much better after our first appointment with Dr. Ratcliffe. Her no nonsense attitude helped us make a knowledgeable choice without drama! After trying for two years, we were ready for results minus any drama.
She is very practical and to be honest her dry sense of humor was very welcoming during these trying times. We did not need sympathy but honest answers with real options and thats what we got!
Her staff and specially in our case Jamie and Patty were amazing throughout our treatment and did everything to make us feel comfortable.
Obviously we had a positive experience and our review is a result of that but regardless of outcomes I would highly recommend AFAMD.

Dr. Ratcliffe can be very cold and rude. She interjects her pesonal feelings into non-​medical issues. I.e. she called my situation a «nightmare.» I ripped one of her paper gowns and she said «if you don’t sit on it it won’t rip.» She has said other things that I don’t care to put in print. She definitely needs training in bedside manner and compassion. She also disparaged the other clinic I was working with. (I only had to go to her for monitoring.) Jealous much?
FYI-​my first review as well as others is under her name.

My wife and I left feeling like clinical tests and not like people. A doctor in this field should leave you with choices and not «this or that». Short direct and not very compassionate. Can’t say how her assistance is because we felt chased out the door. Oh well…

Dr. Ratcliffe and her staff are amazing. Every question was answered with kindness and patience. All of my concerns were addressed quickly and thoroughly. After years and years of the run around with Kaiser, we decided thatit wasworth it to pay out of pocket for Dr. Ratcliffe’s services. It was money well spent and with no regret at all. I a matter of three months, I was taken care of. Kaiser hadn’t been able to do that in 20 years. Dr. Ratcliffe is a miracle worker and an angel.

We went to Dr. Radcliffe and were successful with the first round of IVF and just had our baby, so everything worked out well. I enjoyed working with Dr. Radcliff– she is direct and doesn’t candy coat information– which I completely appreciated. I’m paying a lot of money to go through this process and I wanted someone to be honest, even if it was info. I didn’t necessarly want to hear. I’m not big into the whole touchy-​feely-​hand-​holding stuff. That being said, the entire staff was supportive and clear about specific directions regarding meds and the whole process. When I had questions or was concerned with the possibility of running out of meds, they quickly responded and didn’t make me feel like I was bothering them (especially Jamie, she was awesome). They were definitely there if and when I needed them. We chose to have genetic testing done, which bumped us into the next month for implantation, which meant another month of meds for me– and then 8 weeks into the pregnancy, still had to get shots of hormone. So we worked with AFAMG for about 6 months (prep for egg harvesting, waiting for genetic testing, implantation, and then the 2 months after being pregnant) and I would highly recommend them to anyone and everyone for fertility needs. We only had one glich and that was with our insurance company… you have to pay out of pocket and then file claims with your insurance co to get reimbursed. The office files the claims and insurance companies being what they are, denied some procedures without further info from Dr. Radcliffe.

–disclaimer — we’re pregnant so obviously happy with the results.
Initial appointment –yes we paid for the Drs time. I prefer that to feeling obligated after a free consult.
We found Dr Ratcliffe to be factual and direct (not rude!).
During the initial appointment, she explained how metformin works for PCOS patients, something no other doc had done despite prescribing it. We were advised to reduce my weight (metformin helped with this) and contact them when we were ready to proceed.
We gradually worked our way through the options from least invasive to IVF over a 18 month period. We trusted her guidance on when to go to the next step and always felt like she had carefully considered the options and was on our side.
The office staff and nurses were always polite and returned calls in a reasonable time frame.